


Challenges

by mcicioni



Category: The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcicioni/pseuds/mcicioni
Summary: The fourth man to be recruited.





	Challenges

He opens his eyes and stares at the dusty windowpane. There's still enough afternoon light for him to see the saddlebags and bedroll he dropped by the door, the Winchester standing by the bed and the gunbelt hanging on the bedpost.

His knife is in his pocket. Properly cleaned, as usual. 

He blinks. Before he woke up, he was wandering around in a place where there were no people, no trees, no water. Just boulders. Most of them square, some too high to jump off, some too far from one another to jump across.

His own fault for going to sleep. What he was planning to do, over there by the railroad track, before Chris and his friend spoke to him, was simple - ride back to town, find a room, lock the door, look at himself in the mirror, and put a bullet through his head.

He's had enough. In whatever line of work - on ranches, droving, riding shotgun on stages- the moment always comes when he says one word too many, or someone else does. And then comes the challenge.

He could pull out. But he never does. 

Today was the last time. The last challenge. 

He stands up and looks at his gunbelt. Then he closes his eyes and thinks back to Chris's job offer. Different from the jobs they did together in the past. Doing what he's good at, without pay, with a few others like him. None of them would ask questions. None of them would want to test him.

The other option would always be open. And in the meantime he might be of some use to someone.

  


He pushes the batwing doors open. Chris and his friend are standing by the bar, looking down at a dark-haired kid lying unconscious on the floor. Three Mexicans are sitting with two white men who look as if they had accepted Chris's offer.

He steps in and stands his Winchester by the door. "I changed my mind," he says.


End file.
